Frozen food sales in the US came to about USD53bn in 2016, up from USD50.38bn in 2013. According to information by Statista, within the category, ice cream/sherbet was the best-selling item with more than USD1.45bn. Frozen novelties and frozen pizza rounded off the leading three frozen food categories.
A recent survey on consumer insights revealed that 15 percent of U.S. consumers rated the factor “frozen” as very important to them when purchasing foods and beverages in 2014. The average expenditure on frozen prepared foods amounted to USD131.57 per consumer unit in the United States in 2015. The most significant player in the frozen food segment is Nestlé USA, who manufactures products for almost every single category. Sales of Nestlé USA in the frozen pizza segment, for example, amounted to USD411.71m in 2016. In addition, retailers’ frozen aisles are carrying brands like DiGiorno (pizza), Stouffer’s (frozen dinner), or Nestlé Drumstick (frozen novelties).
“Once especially known for the beloved TV dinner, the frozen food sector has changed tremendously in the last decade: taste and quality have largely improved; better-for-you options have been introduced to the market in order to meet consumer needs; and shopper traffic in the frozen food aisle has been on the increase,” according to Statista.
